Place: Reviews & Ratings

Reviews by wailingwench:

4.7/5 rDev +9.6%

Cheers: Hummus is spot on, sandwiches like totally 80's rock. Nice selection of artisian and cheapo cheeses. Interesting array of portable pre-packaged carbohydrates. Turkey sammy Fuccillo HUGE enough to soak up anything Imperial that you are gonna throw at the gastro. Seasonal selections well placed within stumbling, heck, even crawling distance from front door. Artvoice and Brewing News rack located immediately inside of the front door in case you run into the age old beer vs. toilet paper dilemma. Beer always wins. BTW. Provided us with plastic cups to drink brews on the long walk back to Allentown. Staff recommended the scenic Elmwood to North to Allen to Days Park for a growler walk.

Jeers: Actually, I can not think of any besides I wish that I had the capital to finance my own brew emporium on Elmwood Ave. I also dislike the usage of Village, as the Elmwood area has apparently become. But that's neither here, there, or hairy bear (or Eyeball for that matter). (981 characters)

More User Reviews:

Stopped in while I was in Buffalo. Super nifty open floor lay out. Had a crazy nice selection of fresh stuff, lots of Belgians and Germans, even found a Brewfist Italian. Had some snakcs, picked up a jar of the best mustard I've had from Sierra. Didn't get anything from the taps, but recognized their large, varied list. Cashier was a good chat and knew the store well. It was a little on the pricier side, but worth it. All in all, wish I had a place like this at my end of the state. (486 characters)

Easy to find and very close to border for fellow Canadians. Cool small place their philisophy seems to be don't stock much and let it turn fast. I am good with that. I went on a Tuesday around noon and there was not a ton of stuff. Had some nice sours and a few unique bottles. I grabbed a Prairie Ale. It sounded like Wed was a better day to get more unique stuff. Girl there new her stuff and once we started talking was good. I would recommend if in a hurry but Premier is only about 10-15 minutes away and has a way bigger selection and Consumers in Niagara falls is just as close to the border with also more selection although neither had as good a vibe. (660 characters)

A very classy shop, near Cole's bar and therefore right off the Peace Bridge. This allows a new option for Canadians to shop for bottles if they can't get far enough to Premiere. The comparisons start. Premiere has more selection, particularly with their very liberal singles policy, much spottier service,more food and soda with your beers, more parking, and closer to the main though more expensive Buffalo shopping haunts. Village is more navigatable aisles, slightly better pricing, and of course a different part of town. (526 characters)

A bit disappointed. Nothing here that I couldn't find elsewhere. The selection would be good for somebody who hadn't tried as much beer. Still a good selection nonetheless, just nothing crazy when I went.

They have a good looking growler area that I didn't patronize. Glassware available for purchase as well. (310 characters)

2 Village Beer Merchants around here. They have a pretty good selection at both stores, especially compared to other stores in the city. The only issue is they are a few dollars more expensive on average. Sometimes it's worth it for the close drive. Employees are cool, but they aren't always around to shoot the stuff with. (324 characters)

Stopped by here on my way through town. Some great finds that I was glad to find. I walked out with some Cantillion (on the shelf no less), Great Lakes Blackout Stout four-pack, and a growler of St. James Stout from Ellticotville.

Nice atmosphere, like a gourmet shop vibe. Great looking selection of NY locals on one shelf, US on other, Foreign offerings on another. Nice glassware and other gourmet item inventory too, but I didn't look too closely at that stuff. Service was friendly, but I found that I knew a lot more about their inventory than the guy that was helping me.

A nice shop with a few finds I was hoping to come across on my trip. (649 characters)

Usually a damn good selection. A bit too pricey though; usually Consumers is QUITE a bit cheaper if they have the same beer... but that's a huge if. Village Beer Merchant always has a handful of beers I've never had and the tap selection is nice too from time to time. Just picked up a growler of Mikkeller Coffee Bean IPA so that was a HUGE freaking score for me. Never expected anyone around here to ever have any Mikkellers on tap. All in all, the atmosphere is good, seems kinda like a more crafty, more quaint Premier. Great selection, but not excellent... some beers I just don't feel like they need there, honestly. Service is superb. The dude at the counter always has a good recommendation or five for me when I'm in the mood to spend cash. (750 characters)

The Village Beer Merchant is located in the middle of Buffalo's Elmwood Village, right down the street from two of Buffalo's best bars (Cole's and The Blue Monk). So if you're on a mission for beer, make sure you hit all three places.

VBM usually has a really solid selection of beers. They carry imports and domestic, and usually have a few rare beers behind the counter. They also feature 20+ rotating taps for growler fills, and the tap variety is wonderful (local, one-time-only, and standard favorites).

The only knock I have on the Village Beer Merchant is that their prices are a bit higher than other stores in Buffalo, and on numerous occasions I have seen tons of empty shelf space.

But the staff is very friendly and helpful, so don't hesitate to ask an employee if there is something specific you are looking for. If you're in Buffalo, the Village Beer Merchant is a must. (887 characters)

The service on my visit was excellent as the clerk chatted to me the entire time I was shopping. He suggested a handful of noteworthy beers (particularly the new arrivals) and gave me a Bell’s HopSlam as I was checking out. Unbelievable!

Overall, this is a must-visit when shopping for beer in Buffalo, although Premier has a slightly larger, cheaper, and in some cases fresher selection than Village. Still, I will undoubtedly be returning here when I find myself back in the city. An outstanding beer store. (1,084 characters)